Shasta County Public Health's goal is to ensure all children are vaccinated to protect their health. Vaccine-preventable diseases are still a very real threat to our children and immunizing them is the best way to keep them safe and healthy. We encourage parents to vaccinate their children and to consult with their child's primary healthcare provider for vaccine availability.
Updates:
- The 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines are now available at the Shasta County Public Health Immunization Clinic.
- Flu vaccines are now available at the Shasta County Public Health Immunization Clinic.
- The RSV vaccines for the eligible infant and young children groups are now available through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program at the Shasta County Public Health Immunization Clinic.
- Recent reports of measles cases around the country remind us about the importance of vaccination, which provides protection against serious illness. Learn more at CDC: Measles Cases and Outbreaks **
- Measles is a very contagious disease caused by a virus. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Measles starts with a cough, runny nose, red eyes, and fever. Then a rash of red spots breaks out.
- Make sure you and your children are up to date on the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine and other recommended vaccines, including flu and COVID-19.
- Talk to a health care provider and learn more: CDPH Immunization Branch Page
Childhood Vaccination Location Finder
Please check with your child's primary healthcare provider for vaccine availability. If you need to find vaccines elsewhere, please click the slider in the map below to search for other vaccine providers by zip code/city.
Please call to make an appointment and verify vaccine availability at a given location.
What Vaccines Does My Child Need?
- Check out CDC's 2024 parent-friendly immunization schedule for Birth - 6 Years Old at: CDC: 2024 Immunization Schedule for Children Birth- 6 Years Old
- Check with your child's primary healthcare provider about what vaccines your children need, especially about staying up to date with the recommended childhood, adolescent vaccines, COVID-19 vaccine and flu vaccine.
When Should My Child Get The MMR Vaccine?
- Children are recommended to get their MMR vaccine during 12-15 months (1st dose) and 4-6 years old (2nd dose).
- Children are routinely recommended to get the vaccine at those ages, but if they didn’t, they can still get vaccinated.
- Teens are also recommended to receive both doses to be up to date with their MMR vaccinations.
- Learn more on CDC's Measles Vaccination page and Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) Vaccination: What Everyone Should Know page.
When Do Older Children And Teens Need Vaccinations?
- Visit CDC's Recommended Vaccinations for Children (7-18 Years Old) page or see the supporting documents below.
Why Is The Human Papillomavirus(HPV) Vaccine Important For My child To Get?
- ACIP and CDC recommendations state that HPV vaccination can start as early as age 9 which can offer more time for completion of the series by the age of 13.
- HPV vaccination is cancer prevention and helps protect against six types of cancer.
- HPV vaccination can prevent more than 90% of HPV cancers when given at the
recommended ages. - More than 75% of US parents have chosen to protect their children from HPV
cancer with the HPV vaccine. - To learn more about the HPV vaccine, check out CDC's HPV Vaccination page.
What If I Can't Afford Vaccines Or My Insurance Doesn't Cover Them?
- The Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program provides vaccines for eligible children at no cost. See the description of each provider on the map to verify if they are a VFC provider in your area. Underinsured children are eligible to receive VFC vaccine only through a Federally Qualified Health Center FQHC), or a Rural Health Clinic (RHC) under an approved deputization agreement.
- Learn more about the VFC program by visiting the CDC's Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program: Information for Parents page.
- Learn more about where to find a FQHC.
- Please refer to these pages for more information: Vaccinate Your Family's How Will I Pay for My Family’s Vaccinations page in English and Vaccinate Your Family's ¿Cómo Voy a Pagar por las Vacunas de mi Familia? page in Spanish.
Where Can My Child Get Vaccinated?
- Please check with your primary care provider for vaccine availability.
- Visit our public health clinic during vaccination hours for free or low-cost vaccines. See our immunization clinic fees and prices for private insured clients on our Shasta Shots page.
- Uninsured or no preventive care insurance? The Child Health and Disability Program (CHDP) provides free children’s health exams and immunizations. Call to find out if you qualify: (530) 225-5122 or (800) 300-5122.
- For families with health insurance, all or most of the cost of vaccines is usually covered under current state or federal laws. As insurance may vary, ask your health plan or your provider's office if there are any fees for vaccination. Local pharmacies often offer immunizations for older children and adults (but not for infants). Check with the pharmacy and your insurance company about the cost.
- For families that do not have health insurance, find out if your child is eligible for Vaccines for Children (VFC) or Medi-Cal. Local pharmacies also offer immunizations for older children and adults (but not for infants), but the cost is typically higher than the locations mentioned above. Check with the pharmacy about the cost.
- Visit My Turn to find vaccine clinics and pharmacies near you or Vaccines.gov to find local pharamacies.
What Are The Required Vaccines For Child care, TK/K-12 And 7th Grade? Why Does My Child Need Them?
- States and local areas put school vaccination requirements in place to minimize the risk from vaccine-preventable diseases.
- Learn more about vaccine-preventable diseases on CDC's Diseases that Vaccines Prevent page.
- Check out CDPH's Resources for Parents or Guardians page to learn more about parent-friendly resources for parents about which vaccines are required for child care, TK/K-12 and 7th grade.
- Please see the supporting documents below for more information.
What Are The Immunization Requirements For California Colleges And Universities?
- Vaccine-preventable diseases and outbreaks continue to occur on college campuses, including measles, mumps, pertussis (whooping cough), and meningococcal disease.
- For further guidance, visit CDPH's: Immunization Recommendations and Screening Requirements for California Colleges & Universities.
What Are Medical Exemptions?
- Beginning January 1, 2021 all new medical exemptions for school and child care entry must be issued through CAIR-ME. Medical exemptions can only be issued by MDs or DOs licensed in California and must meet applicable Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) criteria.
- Parents/guardians can create an account on the website CAIR-ME and apply for an exemption. They will then receive an exemption application number to give to their child’s physician, which will then be reviewed by a state panel.
- For more information about how a parent/guardian can request a Medical Exemption, check out Instructions to Request a Medical Exemption.
- Learn more about Medical Exemption FAQ's.
What Are Personal Belief Exemptions?
- The law (Senate Bill No. 277) requires children to be immunized by the first day of school and eliminates the option for Personal Belief Exemptions (PBE) since January 01, 2016.
- Learn more about Personal Beliefs FAQ's.
